Fab S.A. drama on ‘Today’

A San Antonio drama teacher and theater actress — and her amazing weight loss in the space of a year — helped kick off the new fourth hour of “Today” Monday.

Mandy Muniz, 32, who went from nearly 300 pounds and a size 24 to an amazing 126 pounds and size 2 — just through healthier diet and exercise — may have been the highlight of the premiere, in fact.

A very cute and sunny blonde, Mandy spoke of her family’s focus on fatty and delicious foods since she was a kid — waffles, butter, desserts, you get the picture — and how she carried that love of the big serving into her adulthood.

Her turning point came when she was helping a student with his independent film project and saw herself on camera. Actually, it was just her arm — but that was enough for Mandy, as she pointed out on the show and in her “Today” blog. “I remember thinking, ‘Who’s fat arm is that?’ When the camera panned out, I was truly shocked to see that the arm was mine. I knew I was buying bigger clothes but I had lost all vision of what I really looked like,” she said.

Her determination and advice from nutrition experts — such as those at the L.A. Weight Loss program — helped her get down to the trim and healthy shape she’s in now. It was an inspiration to watch — particularly when the show compared her old food choices to her new ones — which include fruits, vegetables, protein. . . and smaller portions.

The segment was certainly an inspiration, given this day of quicker fixes such as the various weight loss methods through surgery. You can learn more about her experience by accessing her daily blog at allday.msnbc.msn.com. (Find hers under recent posts.)

As for the rest of the new “Today” hour, which can be seen on WOAI here at noon each day, well. . .I have one beef. It seems to get bogged down by way too much chatter by its three female co-hosts — Ann Curry, Natalie Morales and Hoda Kotb.

At times, I couldn’t understand what was being said, the trio was slamming into and tripping over each other’s words so much. When my boyfriend, Ross, walked in, he made a face: “What’s all that noise? Are you watching ‘The View’?” he asked.

He had a point. Barbara Walters’ kaffeeklatsch show sure seemed to start an irksome trend. And now that there are five “View” hosts — last two added were Whoopi Goldberg and Sherri Shepherd — it only threatens to get worse.